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AEDStephen Hale (American, 1961-2008)
About Seller
1155 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02909
United States
Vallot Auctioneers was founded in 2003 as a fine art specialty auction house in Tribeca, and recognized as one of the first fine art specialty auction galleries in Manhattan. Now based in Providence, RI, the auction house continues the excellence in focusing on bringing fresh quality lots to the mar...Read more
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About Auction
LiveOct 29, 2026
Our AFTER DARK/OCTOBER catalog presents an exceptional collection of art focused on the beauty of the male form across the categories of painting, illustration, photography, and more. Selections range from vibrant paintings by artists such as Mark Beard, Robert Bliss, Cornelius McCarthy, and Delmas Howe; homoerotic works by iconic Japanese artists including Sadao Hasegawa, Go Mishima, and Gengoroh Tagame; and an assortment of drawings and ephemera from to iconic gay figures like Paul Cadmus and Sam Steward. Vallot Auctioneers info@vallots.com
View Full Catalog (120)
- Lot Description
Untitled (Shower Portrait), ca. 1980s.
Charcoal on paper.
Sheet: 29 x 23 in. (73.6 x 58.4 cm)
Frame: 37 x 29 1/2 in. (93.9 x 74.9 cm)
Notes:
Born in Vermont, Stephen Hale studied at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in the late 1970s under the mentorship of painter and illustrator Richard Merkin. He graduated in 1982 and soon moved to New York, taking up residence in the East Village, where he became part of the vibrant downtown art scene.
Hale also worked as a commercial illustrator and he produced work for publications such as The New Yorker, Variety and Detour magazines, as well as film and theatre poster illustrations. Alongside his commercial career, he developed a personal body of work centered on photorealistic graphite drawings of his close friends beginning in the 1980s and this work would appear to be from that period.
Hale became known for his meticulous rendering of the male body where the likeness of his drawn figures is barely discernible from a photograph. Rather than working from a single reference point, Hale typically photographed his subjects repeatedly and then assembled a composite figure, selecting different features from multiple images. The resulting compositions combine varied poses and perspectives, producing figures that appear hyperreal yet psychologically engaged.
Beyond the studio, Hale documented New York’s underground gay nightlife. He captured clubgoers in intimate and candid moments in his drawings of go-go boys, strippers, leatherfolk, and scantily clad men in jockstraps.
Hale’s works are held in major institutional collections including the RISD Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Art, and the National Arts Club in New York.
Auctioneer's Note: This item was subject offered in a previous Vallot's sale and entered into a private collection. The collector has since passed, and as per the estate of the collector, this item has been consigned for sale with Vallot Auctioneers.Condition
Unfinished and stray marks along the sheet margins, though likely as intended by the artist.
For further condition details or additional images, please contact info@vallots.com - Provenance
Estate of Stephen Hale.
Vallot Auctioneers. Providence, RI. AFTER DARK/SUMMER. August 28, 2025, lot 27. Acquired from the above.
Property of a Wisconsin Estate, purchased from the above.
- Shipping Info
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We do not offer in-house packing and shipping services. Shipping can be expensive, please consider obtaining an estimate prior to bidding. Below we have listed our preferred shipper as a courtesy, and we will be glad to assist you with your third-party shipping needs, however, we assume no liability for any shipper you use or any loss or damage occasioned in transport or otherwise as a result of shipping.
THE UPS STORE - CRANSTON
UPS Website, Atwood Ave
148 Atwood Ave, Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 654-6381
Store7291@theUPSstore.com
THE UPS STORE - PARSONAGE STREET
UPS Website, Parsonage Street
22 Parsonage Street, Providence, RI 02903
(401) 369-7029
Store6708@theUPSstore.com
IN PERSON PICK-UPS
In person pick-ups are to be scheduled by appointment during business hours (weekdays 9-4 pm) at 1155 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02909. Please call (401) 273-1618 or email: info@vallots.com
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